Living God's Future Now: Making Your Church's Heart Sing

Join us for “Living God’s Future Now: Making Your Church’s Heart Sing”, a transformative day of resourcing and exploration inspired by the ministries of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

This event offers a unique opportunity to discover practical tools and fresh perspectives to invigorate your parishes’ mission and ministry in both rural and urban contexts. Through workshops, theological insights, and moments of worship, we aim to equip your church to flourish in compassion, creativity, and community engagement.

As Sam Wells writes in “Living God’s Future Now”: “We are called to live as if God’s future has already arrived, nurturing the signs of that future in the present and sharing them with the world.”

This day of inspiration and renewal will include…

HeartEdge: Practical workshops exploring the 4 Cs (Compassion, Commerce, Culture, and Congregation) for creating flourishing churches. When scarcity could so easily dictate our thinking, instead we shift to an abundance mindset, and a belief that God provides more than they need.

Great Sacred Music: Great Sacred Music is a 35-minute sequence of words and music which explores through song and readings the great classical music of our religious heritage. It is a model that can be replicated and it has successfully engaged a wide spectrum of attendees.

Being With: Being With is a life changing way to help people explore the Christian faith. Being With helps people consider Christian faith in new and refreshing ways, without needing prior knowledge, but a simple willingness to share what you do know or feel.

Theological Input from Sam Wells: Grounding the day in rich theological reflection. Interactive Sermon Preparation: Engaging clergy and lay leaders in live, collaborative sermon crafting.

HeartBeat: offers resources for worship including a weekly reflection linked to the lectionary readings and a set of open questions for a small group to explore the scripture passages.

Bread for the World: Closing the day with an Act of Contemplative and Contemporary Worship to give thanks for the sense of God’s presence and refreshment we have experienced in our time together.

The cost for the conference will be £25 (or with a friend £35).

HeartEdge contact: Andrew Yates heartedge@smitf.org

Local contact: Liz Rawlings Liz.Rawlings@leicestercofe.org

Presenter

Revd Dr Sam Wells is Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, a unique configuration of commercial, cultural, and charitable initiatives rooted in a vibrant congregational life. He is also a widely known preacher, pastor, writer, broadcaster, and theologian. He co-founded the HeartEdge movement and co-authored the Being With enquirers’ course. He has served as a Church of England parish priest for 25 years – of which 10 years were spent in urban priority areas.

Presenter

Andrew Earis is the Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, where he has overseen the growth of the music programme to now encompass a broad programme of concerts, worship services and special events. Andrew directs the church’s flagship professional ensemble, St Martin’s Voices, who regularly collaborate with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Piatti Quartet. Alongside his work at St Martin’s, Andrew acts as music consultant to the Church of England, and is a frequent contributor to the BBC’s religious output as producer and conductor. In 2022 Andrew was made an Associate of the Royal School of Church Music and was also awarded the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Presenter

James Fawcett is The Head of Being With, with the aim of sharing this life changing course globally. He likes sailing, whisky, cooking for friends and family, currently mastering homemade pizzas.

Would you like to explore your faith with us? We have developed a 10 week course that explores the Christian faith within St Martin’s inclusive and positive understanding of the Christian faith. It’s particularly constructed for those who are exploring for the first time or after a significant break. For more information or to book a place on the next course email BeingWith@smitf.org.